Mill gets new life as entertainment venue

James Baxter re-creates some of the signs that once adorned the old Laboratory Mill in Lincoln County. Business owners John and Cyndi Dellinger commissioned the local man to paint three pieces on the building to add to the authenticity of the repurposed building.

By Diane Turbyfill

Published: Monday, December 9, 2013 at 05:33 PM.

The windows have been replaced. The floors have been polished and The Laboratory Mill is open for business.

Once the site of a laboratory that manufactured drugs for Confederate troops, the building now hosts weddings, reunions, banquets and parties in a scenic part of Lincoln County along the South Fork River.

Owners John and Cyndi Dellinger started the renovation project three years ago and held a grand opening last month.

Now they’re putting the finishing touches on the outside of the building.

The Dellingers hired James Baxter to repaint some of the lettering that once branded the outside of the building.

“That’s all we lacked as far as restoring everything outside,” said John Dellinger. “It was such a big identifier to what the property is.”

The local painter added the words “D.E. Rhyne, Proprieter of the Laboratory Cotton Mill” to the building’s exterior.

The Dellingers said they were thrilled to complete the exterior renovation and to do so using a local businessman.

Preserving history

The couple bought the 3.66-acre piece of property in late 2007. They lived nearby and while taking a walk one day the Dellingers spotted a “for sale” sign.

Then they began the daunting task of restoring a building constructed more than a century ago and left empty for more than a decade.

“People used to tell us we were crazy,” Cyndi Dellinger said.

The building has been restored to what the couple believes is the original design, judging from old photographs.

Much of the wood floor was pulled up, refurbished and reinstalled. Some of the original windows were spruced up and put into place. Others were replaced.

Materials were salvaged from the Laboratory property and other old mills in Lincoln County, according to the Dellingers.

Photos of the property as it once was can be viewed in the gift shop.

Preserving the historic element of the property has been especially important to the Dellingers.

The mill is listed on the historic registry. The couple purchased the property and two structures on it from Preservation North Carolina.

Opening for business

Music from a grand piano can now be heard coming from the old mill.

The wide-open rooms glow under soft white lights.

Brides pose in front of windows overlooking water that rushes through the dam, and former high school classmates gather for reunions.

John Dellinger said he’s been surprised by the regional interest.

The couple expected to have events for Lincoln County residents. But they’ve booked jobs for people across North Carolina.

The mill has served as a backdrop for two TV shows and had other opportunities for films. Scheduling conflicts have kept the couple from signing on with four films, John Dellinger said.

Making more plans

When they’re not at the mill, John Dellinger works in electrical controls, and Cyndi Dellinger is an engineer at McGuire Nuclear Station.

Though they’re proud of the work they’ve done, the Dellingers still have more on their to-do list.

They plan to renovate another wing of the building and add a back deck to the outside.

The Dellingers and their employees are decorating for Christmas parties now and gearing up for a New Year’s Eve bash.

Their online presence shows viewers before and after photos of the renovation project, and it’s allowed them to reach a broader fan base.

During their grand opening, Facebook fans from several surrounding counties came out.

The Dellingers expect to see many of those same faces for their gala Dec. 31.

You can reach Diane Turbyfill at 704-869-1817 and twitter.com/GazetteDiane.

Details

What: Laboratory Mill

Where: 848 South Fork Road, Lincolnton

Online: On Facebook and at thelaboratorymill.com

For more: Call 704-240-4718

Historical roots

The mill, along the banks of the South Fork River, sits on land once used by five laboratories established by the Confederate States of America. They manufactured drugs for the troops from indigenous plants.

The Schenk-Warlick Mill was relocated to this site in 1818 to take advantage of the greater water power of the South Fork River. It was the first cotton mill in the South and second in the country. It burned in 1863. One original wall of handmade brick still remains near the sluiceway. D.E. Rhyne, commonly known in the Southeast as Uncle Dan, and J.A. Abernethy rebuilt the mill in 1887, calling it the Lincoln Cotton Mill. It was later renamed the Laboratory Mill and was in production until 1994.

The windows have been replaced. The floors have been polished and The Laboratory Mill is open for business.

Once the site of a laboratory that manufactured drugs for Confederate troops, the building now hosts weddings, reunions, banquets and parties in a scenic part of Lincoln County along the South Fork River.

Owners John and Cyndi Dellinger started the renovation project three years ago and held a grand opening last month.

Now they’re putting the finishing touches on the outside of the building.

The Dellingers hired James Baxter to repaint some of the lettering that once branded the outside of the building.

“That’s all we lacked as far as restoring everything outside,” said John Dellinger. “It was such a big identifier to what the property is.”

The local painter added the words “D.E. Rhyne, Proprieter of the Laboratory Cotton Mill” to the building’s exterior.

The Dellingers said they were thrilled to complete the exterior renovation and to do so using a local businessman.

Preserving history

The couple bought the 3.66-acre piece of property in late 2007. They lived nearby and while taking a walk one day the Dellingers spotted a “for sale” sign.

Then they began the daunting task of restoring a building constructed more than a century ago and left empty for more than a decade.

“People used to tell us we were crazy,” Cyndi Dellinger said.

The building has been restored to what the couple believes is the original design, judging from old photographs.

Much of the wood floor was pulled up, refurbished and reinstalled. Some of the original windows were spruced up and put into place. Others were replaced.

Materials were salvaged from the Laboratory property and other old mills in Lincoln County, according to the Dellingers.

Photos of the property as it once was can be viewed in the gift shop.

Preserving the historic element of the property has been especially important to the Dellingers.

The mill is listed on the historic registry. The couple purchased the property and two structures on it from Preservation North Carolina.

Opening for business

Music from a grand piano can now be heard coming from the old mill.

The wide-open rooms glow under soft white lights.

Brides pose in front of windows overlooking water that rushes through the dam, and former high school classmates gather for reunions.

John Dellinger said he’s been surprised by the regional interest.

The couple expected to have events for Lincoln County residents. But they’ve booked jobs for people across North Carolina.

The mill has served as a backdrop for two TV shows and had other opportunities for films. Scheduling conflicts have kept the couple from signing on with four films, John Dellinger said.

Making more plans

When they’re not at the mill, John Dellinger works in electrical controls, and Cyndi Dellinger is an engineer at McGuire Nuclear Station.

Though they’re proud of the work they’ve done, the Dellingers still have more on their to-do list.

They plan to renovate another wing of the building and add a back deck to the outside.

The Dellingers and their employees are decorating for Christmas parties now and gearing up for a New Year’s Eve bash.

Their online presence shows viewers before and after photos of the renovation project, and it’s allowed them to reach a broader fan base.

During their grand opening, Facebook fans from several surrounding counties came out.

The Dellingers expect to see many of those same faces for their gala Dec. 31.

You can reach Diane Turbyfill at 704-869-1817 and twitter.com/GazetteDiane.

Details

What: Laboratory Mill

Where: 848 South Fork Road, Lincolnton

Online: On Facebook and at thelaboratorymill.com

For more: Call 704-240-4718

Historical roots

The mill, along the banks of the South Fork River, sits on land once used by five laboratories established by the Confederate States of America. They manufactured drugs for the troops from indigenous plants.

The Schenk-Warlick Mill was relocated to this site in 1818 to take advantage of the greater water power of the South Fork River. It was the first cotton mill in the South and second in the country. It burned in 1863. One original wall of handmade brick still remains near the sluiceway. D.E. Rhyne, commonly known in the Southeast as Uncle Dan, and J.A. Abernethy rebuilt the mill in 1887, calling it the Lincoln Cotton Mill. It was later renamed the Laboratory Mill and was in production until 1994.